TOSEBO Time 2009

[raito]

Just got this today from Dave Wallace:

It’s been over three years now since 45 alumni of Camp Tosebo gathered for a memorable first-ever reunion. It was an incredible event that brought campers and staff from six decades together. When it was over and our lives slowly began to return to normalcy, we began to wonder about whether we could do it again. I believe the answer is a resounding “Yes!” for four good reasons:
· There is a large group of guys who couldn’t make it in 2005. Whether it was a schedule conflict or a little trepidation that “you can’t go home again”, Camp Tosebo is waiting to bring back many good memories.

· Since the last reunion the directory of “found” alumni has grown to about 275. The worst feeling I had in 2005 was telling a guy, who just GOOGLE’d “Tosebo” in August that, “glad you found us, and, by the way, you just missed a great reunion.” We’ve added quite few from the 70’s and several 30’s and 40’s.

· We’ve got some unfinished business from the last reunion. Everyone got a songbook in 2005, but we never took the time to try out some of those great “oldies.” There were also rumors of another special event at the Council Ring??

· We had a hell of good time – isn’t it time to do it again?


So, we’re proposing that Tosebo alumni gather again for a weekend of renewing old friendships, sharing memories of summers past, and remembering the places that made Tosebo special for each of us. We’re thinking about the weekend of June 12-14, 2009 and doing another Friday-Sunday affair. So how about it? This is an official pre-invitation. It was a great group that came in 2005, but there’s a bunch of long time campers and staff that we missed seeing in person.

I’m giving you almost a year’s notice. Nobody is booked up that far in advance – no excuses this time. Plenty of time to reserve some quality time at Camp Tosebo.

Let me know – HO FOR TOSEBOLAND

Dave and the rest of the TOSEBO crew




IMPORTANT: E-mail addresses change and mine might be out of date. PLEASE forward to any and all brothers, dads, uncles, cousins, and friends who I might have missed in these multiple e-mails. Thanks DDW

 

[raito]

Well, the Tosebo 2009 Reunion has just passed. Dave and the rest of the TCA are wonderful hosts.

It seemed as though mostly guys hung out with people from their own decade, though there was a lot of mixing, too.

Representing the 70's were Andre (I'm not going to attempt the Polish last name), Ken Wood, Bob Freeman, Jim Fallon (the Moose himself), Jay Deacon (aka Jady or J.D.), your truly, Neil Gilmore, and Ben Taylor.

One particularly touching experience was that at 10am, Ross Taylor's ashes were spread at the waterfront. Ben's mother, Doris, was there to see her husband off. Ross had dies in February (?). Also, a plaque was given to the TCA to mount on the wall of the boathouse.

Another surprise was that Dave Wallace had had the old 1942 truck restored, and drove it down to the beach.

I know that the 70's guys spent a lot of time Saturday night with all the memorabilia pictures (including the camper pictures around the mess hall), putting names to faces, and recording those names so that we don't forget.

Apparently, Andy Streubing and Chuck Yakmonis were supposed to attend (they had nametags prepared), but didn't manage to put in an appearance.

It's interesting how some of the old camp taboos stay with you. I took a walk up the trail that leads back from the Lookout. I saw the Council Ring, but did not go down and look. One does not go to the Council Ring without a good reason, and sightseeing isn't good enough. Besides, we had a Council Fire that night anyway.

I'm certainly sad that Tosebo, as a camp, is no more. And I'm sad that I lost track of all my wonderful friends for all those years. But I'm happy that I've found them again, and made some new ones.

Like we were saying, our wives may just smile indulgently at us when we try to explain what Tosebo meant to us as young men, but they really ought to thank the Hill's, Taylor's, Coach Roskie, Hal Tonkins, and all the other campers and counselors for helping us to be the men that we are. It's a pretty special fraternity.

As I look forward to my first child, one thing that's on my mind is how I can make sure that he/she gets that sort of experience.